Museum closures
Continuing the recent theme, here's a recent article by Tristram Hunt (an 'Attic' favourite, I believe) bemoaning the current spate of museum closures and collection sell-offs. The link is interesting for the reader comments alone, many of which reveal contemporary ideas and misconceptions about museums and galleries - and the museums profession.
Comments
It makes me wonder why people are so resistent to more interpretation or unusual methods such as asking a pupils to give their opinion (one commentator likens this to a parent's evening display - how snobbish!). Surely if you do not want to read the new interpretation you can ignore it like I happily ignore the listening devices in museums and galleries which I really dislike because they individualise the experience when I think museum visiting should be social. I do not feel obliged to comment however on my dislike of these devices nor criticise the museum for it. It is simply another way of interpreting a space. What do people fear? They fear the loss of their own feeling perhaps of 'elitism' because they understand something that other people do not... they lose that 'specialness' of being alone in the gallery pontificating on the wonder of things (when in reality this way of doing things only causes more museums to be closed down because there are not enough visitors). After reading Baudrillard I am beginning to understand the 'fear' that through excess and saturation - and this also may apply to enabling the masses to access something to 'excess' - things lose their meaning, perhaps their magic and become one amongst many things. I see no reason however why something cannot be special BECAUSE it is enjoyed by everyone and not by a sacred few.